Finger-lickin’ Good
An open house is a good way to corral a crowd of family and friends at holiday time, feeding them family-style the friendliest of foods. Want to make it easy? Give a hand to letting put-together finger foods do the heavy-lifting.
Machu Picchu Peruvian
Warm-hearted classics from Peru are precisely imagined at a modest eatery just south of the emerging Ducktown arts and culture district. It’s led by a coterie of women who share the desire to nourish in every way. The food? Esplendido.
Pho Anh Dao
The namesake pho is the thing here at this 25-year-old landmark in a municipality with a host of standout Asian eateries. This one leads the pack for its renditions of the restorative Vietnamese soup.
Roast Chicken with Frisee
If you’ve never dry-brined a chicken and roasted it, do not wait for the new year to resolve to do just that. While you’re at it, give your bird a spin with some new accoutrements and feel the self-love.
Allen Walski, Clemmy’s
The newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques started young on Long Beach Island, segued to higher learning grounds in Philly, and today is proving you can come home again – as long as you do it on your terms, in your own way. His highly personal restaurant in Waretown is clear proof of that.
Ram & Rooster
Sean Yan has a singular voice in food, a style of fusing ingredient to technique and tradition to modern, unique concept. All comes together in the chef’s first solo venture and it’s unlike any other restaurant in the Garden State. For that matter, it’s unlike anything, anywhere.
The Vigor of Vinaigrettes
An amped-up emulsion can brighten a salad of standard-issue or even less-loved elements. Shaken, stirred or whisked, it’s got the potential to transform whatever foods otherwise fail to inspire.
L’Annexe de Mamie Colette
A café-bakery in Titusville has more than Breton flair. Its partners in spinning out textbook-correct crepes and baked goods drenched in love are creating a community along the Delaware that gathers over the warmth of much more than their ovens.
Wide World Dining
More and more evidence is emerging that proves our Garden State has the highest quality of ethnic and ethnically influenced dining venues in the country. This biweekly assessment stamps that case a win once again for diners.
Time to Revive the Rutabaga
We’re nigh on the high season for this perennially overlooked root vegetable, so this time around, put it to good use in a hearty pie that offers good nutrition, ease of preparation and a heap of comfort.
Pals’ Night Out ’24
Gathering your besties during the heart of the holiday season is always a challenge of time and place. It’ll be up to you to make time for those who are dearest, but we’d like to help out with place. Here’s a heaping helping – 20! – of suggestions culled from our Restaurant Revues posted this year.
Panas House
Tucked into a corner storefront in a residential part of this city in Union County is a sure-bet for superior cachapas, arepas and a burger packed with not one, not two, but three meats – and more. It’s not size that matters, but the way these Venezuelan classics are cooked and assembled. Think bawdy and beautiful.